Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at dramatically increasing penalties for illegal robocalls, escalating federal efforts to curb the surge of unsolicited and fraudulent calls targeting consumers.
Why it matters: Robocalls continue to be one of the top pain points for consumers — and a major compliance concern for companies that rely on outbound calling. With more than 52.8 billion robocalls placed in 2024 and over $40 billion lost to scams, lawmakers are signaling a renewed willingness to aggressively punish bad actors, particularly those exploiting AI-driven spoofing techniques.
Driving the news: Reps. David Kustoff [R-Tenn.] and Deborah Ross [D-N.C.] introduced the Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone Calls (DO NOT Call) Act in the House. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto [D-Nev.’ introduced the companion bill in the Senate.
What they’re saying:
- “Scammers are using artificial intelligence to mimic voices and spoof Caller ID… This bipartisan bill gives our justice system more power to crack down on these bad actors,” Kustoff said.
- Ross emphasized the growing sophistication of fraud schemes that “particularly target seniors and vulnerable people.”
- Cortez Masto called spam calls a threat to “public trust,” while Alabama Rep. Dale Strong described constituents as “fed up with incessant scam calls.”
- Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti also endorsed the bill, calling robocalls a “relentless annoyance.”
The big picture: The bill aims squarely at intentional violators of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, creating criminal penalties for willful and repeated misconduct — a significant shift from the TCPA’s longstanding civil-penalty framework.
How it works: Under the bill, individuals who willfully and knowingly violate the TCPA may face:
- Up to 1 year in prison for standard violations
- Up to 3 years in prison for aggravated offenses, including:
- Prior convictions
- Initiating more than 100,000 calls in 24 hours, 1 million in 30 days, or 10 million in a year
- Using robocalls in furtherance of a felony
- Causing $5,000+ in consumer losses
Fines for caller ID spoofing: The bill doubles the maximum fine for providing false caller ID information from $10,000 to $20,000
